


Beneath The Waves

by SherlockianWhovian



Series: Tumblr Works [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Love, merfolk, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 06:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13969497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianWhovian/pseuds/SherlockianWhovian
Summary: Based on this Tumblr prompt: “Ok, so you panicked and kissed the human so he wouldn’t drown, but we can’t keep him and he can’t leave if he knows about us merpeople, so what are we going to do”.





	Beneath The Waves

The storm whipped the waves up into a frenzy, transforming calm seas into swirling currents with waves the size of mountains.

Emma adored the storms, they were her favourite time to swim through the ocean. She was a mermaid and couldn’t drown, which is why she found being tossed around by the sea so thrilling instead of terrifying. If she stopped swimming and let the currents take her, she could end up anywhere and the thought of exploring new areas of the sea was equally exciting to her as the storms.

She laughed as she swam, letting the sea batter her from all sides and pull her in different directions. She stopped for a breather when she arrived at calmer waters at the edge of the whirlpool of water. It was then that she saw the carnage around her. She’d seen shipwrecks before, she and her fellow merpeople had caused a few when greedy sailors needed to be punished, but she’d never seen such destruction.

Blood tainted the water and bodies drifted down to the seabed. The ship was in pieces, the hull resting on the seabed and splintered planks drifting in the water. She watched for movement, listened for a battle still ongoing, but there was nothing. This ship and its crew had been slaughtered and left forgotten in the ocean.

Emma swam down to the hull of the ship, curious to look inside the vessel that the humans used to travel the seas. She swam inside cautiously, amazed by how small and confined the inside of the large ship was. Why would so many humans willingly choose to travel like this? She wondered if their homes on land were equally small. 

She froze suddenly in the water, her emerald tail halting its gentle movements as she heard movement and speech somewhere nearby. There was the clink of a chain, the desperate pleas to a god for mercy and the hammering of a hand on wood. She wasn’t sure whether to move closer to the trapped human or to leave him to his fate in the wrecked ship. It was rare that she interacted with humans, but the ones she had seen and spoken with were cruel, selfish beasts.

Emma decided to swim further into the ship and towards the human. The desperation and fear in his cries made her wonder that perhaps this could be a different type of human? One that was kind and gentle instead of cruel and selfish. The man that she discovered, his ankle chained to a wall and desperately trying to remain in the rapidly disappearing air pocket, was stunning. He was so beautiful that were he a merman with an ocean blue tail to match his eyes, she knew that she’d pursue him.

Her current options, however, were limited. She could watch this human struggle and eventually drown, she could show him mercy and end his life herself before the water flooded into his lungs, or she could save him. A single kiss was all it took to lock enough air into a human’s lungs to keep them alive whilst they were transported to the merpeople settlement. Once inside the settlement, there were plenty of areas with air where a human could live comfortably. She’d heard about it, read about it in books of merpeople myths, but she’d never seen it done. No humans had been invited into the settlement for centuries.

“Great deity Palaemon, please save my wretched soul during my time of need.“ the sailor prayed, his eyes clamped shut as his limbs struggled to keep him above the water line, “If I cannot be saved then may my sins be forgiven and my soul given peace.“

“What sins could one so beautiful, one who lives in confinement and chains, possibly have committed?“ Emma spoke without meaning to, appearing beside him above the water line.

“Have you been sent to me by Poseidon?“ the man asked, his eyes wide with hope, “Will my sins be forgiven by the gods?“

“I know not of your deities, human.“ Emma replied, “What sins have you committed?“

“My mother died whilst giving birth to me, I was a burden to my father and my brother and now I am a burden to my master too.“ the man explained, tears rolling down his cheeks, “My very presence has caused so much suffering to those around me. I hope I can be forgiven and that I can rest in peace.“

“You are a slave to the other humans. The ones who are dead and broken in the waters around us.“ Emma realised, “I could help you.“

“I would not wish to burden you, dearest angel. I wish only for a swift end, for my suffering and the suffering of those around me to cease.“ the man gasped, the waterline rising dangerously rapidly.

Emma studied this beautiful man, struggling and gasping in the water as he fought to keep breathing even though he knew it was hopeless, who’d not asked anything from her, who wished only for peace. As the water rose over his face and the chain kept him below the surface, Emma made her decision. She swam forward and kissed him, locking air into his lungs and sending him to sleep with her magic so she could transport him. With a flick of her tail, she broke the chain and took hold of the human’s arm, pulling him with her as she swam home to the merpeople settlement.

 

\---

 

“You panicked and kissed the human so he wouldn’t drown.“ her father, the King spoke, his voice serious, “We can’t keep him here and he can’t leave if he knows about us, what do you want me to do?“

“Why can’t he stay here?“ Emma asked, “ There is no rule against a human living in the settlement. I could transform him with my magic, he could become a merman.“

“Emma, that’s highly dangerous and complex magic.“ her mother, the Queen spoke with worry in her tone, “Why would you want to do that for a human?“

“I would do it for him.“ Emma said without hesitation, “His heart and soul are pure, he has known nothing but suffering, I didn’t save him for you to order his execution.“

“Humans are beasts, Emma, you know this.“ David sighed, “How do you know that this human is worthy?“

“I just do.“ Emma admitted softly, “I knew it from the moment I set eyes on him. Whilst others would have begged and bargained for their life, he begged only for forgiveness and peace in death.“

“The human wakes.“ Snow said, her eyes fixed on the man that lay on the slab in front of their thrones.

 

\---

 

Killian slowly woke, looking up at the blue haze above him. It looked like water, like he was below the surface, but he knew that couldn’t be possible as he wasn’t drowning. He slowly sat up and his eyes were drawn to the two thrones and his angel who sat in front of them.

Without any hesitation, Killian swung his legs over the edge of the slab and staggered forward towards the thrones. He knelt in front of them, his head bowed in a show of respect.

“Poseidon, God of the Seas, please forgive my sins and grant me a peaceful eternal rest.“ he pleaded, thinking himself to be in some kind of middle ground between life and death.

“My husband is many things, but he is not Poseidon, nor is he a God.“ Queen Snow chuckled, leaving her throne and swimming forward to examine the human closer, “What is your name, sailor?“

“Killian Jones, milady.“ Killian replied, his eyes still downcast to be as respectful as possible, “I know not how I am here, but I am pleased that my angel is here at my side.“

“By angel I presume you mean Emma, my daughter?“ Snow asked with an amused smile.

“Aye. A beautiful name for a beautiful angel.“ Killian replied with a glance in Emma’s direction.

“You’re not in sailor heaven or wherever you think yourself to be.“ King David said, “You are in our merpeople settlement and you have a choice to make, Killian Jones.“

“A choice, Sir?“ Killian asked, looking up at the King.

“Emma has chosen to save you from a watery death but this comes with a consequence, as all actions do.” King David declared, “Now that you are here, that you know about our settlement, you can never return to the human world. You also can’t stay here as a human.“

Emma swam over to Killian, the beautiful man with the pure heart that had captured her heart the moment she’d set eyes on him, “You have two choices. You can meet your end and go freely into death, or I can transform you into a merman and you can begin a new life in our settlement.“

“Forgive me for being forward or presumptuous, beautiful angel, but would there be a chance that in this new life I could call you mine?“ Killian asked, nothing but love and thankfulness in his eyes.

“Only if I can call you mine in return.“ Emma replied, reaching out and linking her hands with his. She knew nothing of this sailor, just his name and his sins, but she knew he was the one for her. The one she’d waited for. The one who would eventually rule the merpeople alongside her.

“Then there is no decision that needs to be made.“ Killian admitted with a warm smile, “For I would follow you to the end of the world and time itself.“


End file.
